JAIME E. MASAGCA
#chasinglightschasingdreams
#advocatusdiaboli
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The renovated house on Christmas night |
“A house is to be designed around the persons who will live in it and not that the occupants should adapt to it”, an architect said. I may add that a house should however adapt to needs as the owners may fancy or as may be dictated by conditions prevailing and not dictated by contemporary designs.
A great majority would dream of modernizing homes in renovations to conform to fads or even to give a hint of affluence, but not in our case when the renovations were motivated by RE-USE, RECYCLE, and REMINISCE that great deviations were made in the initial plans with the tight budget in mind.
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A faux window of capiz shell illuminates the stairwell |
We want to preserve that mark of where we came from, much more that a relative said this is an “extension of our ancestral house” in the island hometown of my mother. This is the clan’s unofficial house each time they are in the City, even for townmates of both of my parents.
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Living Room |
Energy saving was of prime consideration to light up and cool, in terms of placement of windows, removal of redundant partitions for ease in activity traffic flow, re-arranging of furniture, and of course the sparse application of modernity for safety factors, like the Spanish pattern long span roofing with weather insulations.
Old components were retained, like the capiz shell windows, hardwood that was in use since the 60s, and wooden posts, though some were cladded in plywood for aesthetic consistency.
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Capiz Shell Windows were retained and other windows installed with similar sets salvaged from old houses |
The pandemic factor was also considered especially on the free flow of internal air, not only for ventilation thus saving in electricity costs.
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Second floor with balustrades |
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Old capiz windows used as lighting |
The only semblance of modernity was perhaps the “veranda” as requested by the favorite granddaughter. The structure though was just an extension of components already in place many years ago to buttress the house.
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Master's Bedroom |
Incidentally, it is reminiscent of the Terraza in my grandfather’s house where we cousins would gather each time we go home during fiestas and other occasions like the November elections in the 50s to 60s when relatives were still active in local politics.
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Master's bedroom window |
Basically, nothing has been changed in the structure built in 1968, except for the replacement of deteriorated parts and re-arrangement/ removal of partitions and addition of capiz shell windows to give it a facelift, and all doors converted to sliding for space saving.
Disaster "Pre-Emptive Structural Designing“ was adopted during construction many have made comments that “it was over-designed”. But my cousin just laughed it off, knowing that his design was for over 300kph wind velocity plus the elevation to deflect wind and rain. Expectedly the house endured 2 earthquakes and didn’t shake with typhoons Quinta, Rolly, and Ulysses.
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All wood staircase, replicating the one at Don Adolfo D. Mortola's house in Mindanao |
Interesting however for nostalgia is the renovated staircase which is a smaller replica of the staircase in the home of the Lady of the House’s grandfather, Don Adolfo Mortola y Cabrera in Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte.
The balustrade in the open ceiling to the living area below, is also reminiscent of the original house of my maternal grandfather, where in the balusters my mother said as a child I would dangle my feet as I call out to my aunt each time she leaves to teach in the nearby school, or the passing breeze from the East would lull me to sleep in the living room.
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Cancel used as door |
Antique furniture and components were given new use, like the wooden partition which in the Bikol dialect we call “cancel”. They were framed and used as sliding doors that may be opened for a view below the living area, or to provide additional illumination and ventilation. A smoked glass was however installed for privacy and to diffuse light from the rooms.
The unused screen made to keep the puppies from gnawing on the furniture was stretched out in the bar and converted into a hanger for my collection of corporate mugs.
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Mugs Collection |
The guest room was converted into a minibar/ office/ breakfast nook and opened to “Mingaw Room”.
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Mingaw Room |
“Mingaw Room”, or melancholy room was given that name as a place to contemplate or spend some time whenever one is lonely. With the sliding door, it can still be used as a guest room for relatives or friends who may drop by for the night, or an instant place to stretch out after a long night of working in the adjacent study/ bar/ breakfast nook.
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Mini Bar |
The kitchen counter was re-tiled for that look of airiness and to motivate the “resident chef and souse chefs” that occasionally come in for homecomings.
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Kitchen |
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Office/ Mini Bar |
Every part of the house, its fixtures, and decors has a story to tell and has meaning to the resident owners and ancestry.
Made as a permanent decor of the house is a wooden replica of a kerosene pressure lamp, called in many places as “Coleman” or “Petromax”, after the first brands on the market. Prior to the Rural Electrification Program of the government, this was common in many homes including the homes of my maternal and paternal grandparents.
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Kerosine Pressure Lamp |
Kerosine pressure lamps are still used during prolonged power interruptions.
This wooden replica, with LED light bulb, is made in Agusan del Norte in the northern part of Mindanao and is hung above our pocket garden to bring back the nostalgia of a past era, complementing the chirps of birds heard early morning and insect sounds during late afternoons.
The lamp carries the love story and fruitful relationship of my grandfather’s only sister, Paulina (a Chinese mestiza), and husband Aurelio, which started in an incident involving a kerosene lamp.
My mother and Aunt Rosa narrated that in a dance Aurelio who was then a teacher was fixing the lamp and some kerosene fell on Paulina’s dress. The latter has to go home and never came back to the dance. The following day Aurelio came looking for “the beautiful lady” (Paulina) to apologize and like the story of Cinderella-courtship began.
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Century-old cherubs guard the staircase landing |
Cherubs fashioned from a piece of heavy Molave (vitex parviflora) plank. Over a hundred years old salvaged from a demolished ancestral house. Bought from a local antique shop and displayed at the stairwell wall. I tell visitors that strangers who go up are followed by the gaze of the cherubs.
It now serves as an artistic memorial to my late sister, nephews, nieces, and others in the family who died in their infancy. It is traditionally believed that babies who died become cherubim.
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Grandfather Wall clock |
Though passersby are scared of its sound at night, a grandfather wall clock that strikes the hour and a single tone every 30 min thereafter is the house's main timepiece. Fashionable after liberation and it is similar to the one at the great aunt’s house in Tabaco City.
The only drawback is it must be brought to Manila for maintenance as my elementary grade classmate who’s an expert has died. (Edmund, also an artist, used to maintain the Flower Clock in Rizal Park and I think also the Manila City Hall clocks).
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Century Old image of Our Lady of the Assumption |
An image of Our Lady of Assumption (calculated to be almost 100 years old, and acquired by the dealer from an old house in Catanduanes) carved from a heavy molave trunk is also our home’s Queen, being crowned as “Queen of Heaven and Earth.”
On September 8, the BVM’s birth anniversary, an antique dealer loaded this in my car even if I don’t have cash for fear that someone may buy it before me.
Incidentally, Our Lady of Assumption is the patroness of Virac, Catanduanes where my father hails from.
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Bronze bass relief of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, by Mr. Malanyaon of Calabanga, Camarines Sur |
The solid narra dining table, with 6 chairs, was commissioned by my mother in 1969 for only 500.00 and 5.00 per chair. The chairs were however now replaced with dining chairs from my grandfather’s house. Thanks to my aunt Josefina.
The old set of capiz lamps was acquired to match the windows
Another antique image is that of St. Martha, the Patron Saint of Cooks and House Helps is identifiable with the pot she is carrying. It was given as a token, probably knowing that the master of the house loves to cook and belongs to a family of cooks and chefs.
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An antique wooden image of St. Marth |
My late mother once said that it was her dream to stay in my own home, but dissuaded me to build one on the property I acquired and suggested that I just renovate her old house. So I did and with a nice neighborhood in Barangay 11 who would think of leaving? She’d be proud now I know.
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Music nook This is the least we can do to preserve our family’s humble heritage. Appreciation is given to Engr. Marcial P. Ecal Jr. and Mr. George Sunga, Foreman, and his carpentry, plumbing, electricians, and steel work team for their contributions to design ideas and patience in executing the constant revisions. that budget was exceeded, not to mention the costs of the major improvements done in the past years. |
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Toilet, Bath & Powder Room at the 2nd Floor |
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Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes near the gate |
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